ChicagoLoop

The Chicago Loop offers a bustling, urban downtown experience for visitors of all ages. A 10-minute walk from our Hard Rock Hotel Chicago will take you to this exciting neighborhood where you can spend a few hours or a few days exploring numerous attractions and trendy, yet affordable shopping, dining, and drinking venues.

Eating & Drinking

Foodies everywhere will delight in all the options available in the Chicago Loop, including everything from pizza to pierogies. Those looking for a good time will find it on tap at one of the many bars and pubs throughout the area. A few of the Loop’s dining and drinking places include:

Beef ’n Brandy Restaurant & Lounge

Park Grill

Emerald Loop

Urban Downtown Farmstand

The Bar Below

Elephant & Castle

The Gage

Cardozo’s Pub

Financial District & the Willis Tower

The Loop is considered Chicago’s official downtown area and is home to many businesses that make up its thriving financial district. Famous buildings include the City Hall, Daley Center, Willis Tower, and Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, which is located on LaSalle Street and widely regarded as the financial center of the US. Other companies that are headquartered in the Loop include IBM, Wrigley, Boeing, and The Tribune Company.

Perhaps one of the most famous Chicago landmarks is Willis Tower, formerly known as Sears Tower. It stood as the tallest building in the world for 25 years, and 1.5 million visitors visit Skydeck Chicago on the 99th floor every year. The observation platform allows you to see the city from a bird’s eye view, while the Ledge’s clear, glass boxes allow you to feel like you’re standing on air, thousands of feet above the city.

Art Institute of Chicago

Travel back in time as you view Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, American, European, Asian, contemporary, and many other styles of artwork at the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC). Located in Grant Park, AIC opened in 1866 as a free art school and gallery. It is now the second largest art museum in the US, with numerous collections filling its one-million-square-foot building.

Illinois Center

Illinois Center is a multi-use complex of five office buildings, two hotels, and a residential building connected by an enclosed concourse lined with hundred of shops, businesses, and restaurants. Stop for a haircut or salon service at Anna George Salon, grab lunch at Burrito Beach, drop off a package or get something printed at FedEx Kinko’s, or enjoy a delicious dinner at Great Steak & Potato Co. There’s plenty more for you to see in do inside; visit and see for yourself.

Theater District

Aside from businesses and restaurants, The Loop offers an authentic and cultural experience for those visiting downtown Chicago. See an award winning show at Broadway in Chicago, watch dancers fly through the air and twirl gracefully at Joffrey Ballet, or get caught up in the music and story of an opera at the Chicago Opera Theater. Other theaters and entertainment venues in the Loop include:

Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University

House of Blues Chicago

Harris Theater for Music & Dance

Cadillac Palace Theatre

Silk Road Rising

Bank of America Theatre

Oriental Theatre

Gene Siskel Film Center

The Chicago Theatre

Ballet Chicago

Goodman Theatre

Need suggestions for places to see in the Chicago Loop? Just ask a local or one of our helpful Hard Rock staff; they’ll be happy to point you in the right direction.